Antojitos Lupe – Bernalillo, New Mexico

Gustavo Arellano, the brilliant and hilarious author of Ask a Mexican, a widely syndicated newspaper column published mostly in weekly alternative papers, has become one of my go-to sources of entertainment and information, particularly regarding our common and beloved Spanish lexicon. His inimitable wit and perspective is amusing and enlightening. Take for example his translation of the word “antojitos.”

in an article published in his parent newspaper, the Orange County Weekly, Arellano observes that “the Spanish menu entry antojitos translates as “appetizers,” but the expression connotes more than mere snacks. It derives from the noun antojo, which describes the cravings unique to pregnant women. Antojitos, then, is “little cravings,” and Latinos know that their before-the-main-meal bites should be so appetizing that expectant females snarl at husbands to seek these delights at ungodly hours.”

Antojitos Lupe Dining Room

Expectant mothers snarling! Ungodly hours! Obviously antojitos should be good enough to elicit the type of carnal response usually reserved for something more than special…something great. One could surmise that in a sense, antojitos are the Mexican equivalent of dim sum, but where antojitos translates to “little cravings,” dim sum translates to “a bit of heart” or “heart’s delight.” In either case, Mexicans are passionate about their antojitos which in every sense are a heart’s delight.

Barry Popik, food etymologist extraordinaire explains in his fabulous blog that the word “antojitos” has been cited in American newspapers since at least 1937. He credits Claudia Alarcon writing for Chefs.com for shedding more light on the topic of antojitos: “Perhaps the most difficult group of dishes to explain in all of Mexican cuisine, antojitos are best described as small dishes that are meant to be consumed informally, either from street vendors at lunchtime, in cantinas with drinks before dinner, or at home or in the street as late night snacks.”

Salsa and Chips

In October, 2009, a new restaurant named Antojitos Lupe opened on the ill-fated corner of Camino del Pueblo and Avenida Bernalillo, a corner which has seen many restaurants come and go, all in short order. The site’s previous tenant was Charlie’s Burgers & Mexican Food which lasted less than a year in that location. Antojitos Lupe, it turns out, is the second instantiation of a popular and similarly named restaurant in the Duke City. Lupe’s Antojitos and Mexican food on Zuni Road has been pleasing palates in southeast Albuquerque since 2007. There are several other Mexican restaurants in that area, but Lupe’s has established a faithful following. One reason might just be Lupe herself. She is a delightful woman with a luminous smile and happy glow reserved almost exclusively for her Bernalillo restaurant. She rarely visits her Albuquerque restaurant, but leaves it in the hands of a trusted staff on whom she relies to provide high quality victuals and service.

In Bernalillo, Antojitos Lupe has no competition from other Mexican restaurants and in fact, only a half-dozen or so restaurants of any kind call the City of Coronado home. As such, when the corner complex which housed Lupe’s shuttered its doors in 2013, savvy diners went into mourning. Our sorrow was short-lived because on October 30, 2013, Antojitos Lupe launched in a shiny new strip mall off heavily trafficked Highway 550. Lupe’s, a veritable compendium of deliciousness from Central Mexico, was back and for that, we are extremely grateful.

17 October 2009: Tostada de Ceviche

Contrary to the name on the marquee, the menu isn’t solely about appetizers. There are a number of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees available. As you contemplate the menu, a complementary bowl of salsa with thick, crispy chips is brought to your table. The salsa may be a nearly luminescent neon green tomatillo based salsa (called salsa verde) or it may be a thin, fiery red salsa. The tomatillo salsa is only mildly piquant, but most definitely fresh tasting. More prevalent flavor sensations come from the tanginess of limes and the sharp, fresh flavor of cilantro. It’s a very good salsa, a bit on the watery side, but the chips are formidable enough to hold large quantities of it. The chips are thick, crisp and low in salt.

A rotating array of Aguas frescas (including Pina, Jamaica and Horchata) to slake your thirst are served in Styrofoam cups. If you wish to reduce your carbon footprint, try an ice cold bottle of Jarritos, the famous Mexican soda pops which come in nine delicious and colorful fruit flavors: Tamarind, Mandarin, Fruit Punch, Jamaica, Lime, Grapefruit, Guava, Pineapple and Strawberry. The horchata is cold and delicious with a flavor more than vaguely reminiscent of the milk left over after eating a bowl of children’s breakfast cereal. The pina (pineapple) is even better.

Huarache con carne asada

17 October 2009: It wouldn’t be a true antojitos experience if you don’t partake of at least one preprandial treat. Perhaps the most intriguing are the Huaraches. No, not the Mexican sandals popular with the Bohemian set. Barry Popik explains that huaraches are “thick, oval-shaped corn tortillas, often topped with meat, cheese, beans, and cooked cactus leaves.” The name “huaraches” was either coined or popularized by a popular Mexico City restaurant named El Huarache Azteca.

The name fits. Huaraches are shaped roughly like a human foot, and just as a human foot needs covering, the thick corn tortilla needs toppings. Indented by hand so that it has “borders” to hold its component ingredients, one huarache at Antojitos Lupe is topped with ground beef, shredded lettuce, Mexican crema and queso fresco. The ground beef is well seasoned and best of all, it isn’t refried (fried once then reheated) as at some restaurants. Even if you don’t add a smidgeon of salsa, this is a surprisingly flavorful meal starter. Perhaps even better is a huarache topped with chorizo and potatoes. The chorizo is nicely seasoned and imbues everything it touches with flavor.

March 1, 2012: A three taco plate with rice, beans and salsa

One entree highly recommended by the wait staff is the Bisteca Ranchera which at many Mexican restaurants is a supermodel thin slab of beef. At Antojitos Lupe, that slab is cut up into small pieces and based on how well the flavors meld together, is sauteed with tomatoes and onions. At least, this entree tastes as if it is all prepared together instead of the tomatoes and onions being added later.

17 October 2009: The Mexican state of Oaxaca is known as the “Land of Seven Moles,”–moles which can be found in such colors as red, green, black, brown and yellow. Moles are an intricate sauce made by grinding and toasting chiles, seeds, spices and sundry ingredients. Though they appear to be rather simple, moles are, in fact, highly complex and unique, no two cooks preparing it the same way. While some New Mexicans won’t “deign” to eat mole, others find it a surprising alternative or even supplement to their beloved chile.One of the most common ways to have mole is over chicken and at Antojitos Lupe, “over” is an understatement. A full chicken leg and thigh are thoroughly covered in mole. In fact, the entree looks as if it chocolate has been applied by trowel, so densely covered is the poultry. This is a messy entree guaranteed to require several napkins and copious finger-licking.

28 July 2012: Chile Rellenos with Beans and Rice

16 August 2011: Among the most intriguing items on the menu are three molcajete dishes. A molcajete is essentially a seasoned stone mortar meticulously carved out of a single rock of vesicular basalt by a skilled artisan. Not only are they esthetic, they are highly functional, used for crushing and grinding spices and as serving vessels. That’s how Antojitos Lupe uses them. The minute you place your order for one of the molcajete dishes, the round, three-legged mortar goes into the oven before your meal is prepared. Your entire meal will be served in the cavity of the molcajete which retains heat for the entire duration of your meal. This is “too hot to handle” heat that keeps your meal steaming hot for as long as half an hour. The Molcajete Lupe is the house specialty, a spectacular melange of Mexican favorites: carne asada–thinly sliced grilled beef flank steak; pollo asado–grilled chicken; carne al pastor–marinated pork; queso fresco–a creamy, soft white cheese that tastes like a mild feta; nopalitos–verdant strips of nopal (prickly pear pads) cooked with onions; and finally, homemade corn tortillas.

Individually, each item on this entree is quite good, but as a collective, the entire dish is fabulous. The juices from the sauteed onions and nopalitos coalesce with the al pastor to penetrate the chicken and beef, imbuing them with a surprisingly delicious flavor and a moist texture. The corn tortillas make excellent tacos, engorged with a little bit of everything on the molcajete plus the side of beans and rice that comes with this entree. The other two molcajete dishes are a chicken-based Molcajete Pollo dish and a meat based Molcajete Asada.

Red Chicken Mole

1 March 2012: The caldo de res, a hearty beef and vegetable soup, is a meal in itself. Served in a bowl equal in size to the swimming pool sized bowls used for Vietnamese pho, it’s big enough to share–not that you would want to. To compare caldo de res with some Vietnamese soups wouldn’t be much of a stretch. Both have restorative properties and are especially wonderful in cold weather. Both are elixirs for whatever ails you, offering the comfort only a mother can match. Both are flavored with marrow from bones. Lupe’s caldo de res is made with bone-in beef shanks boiled for hours until tender. Mixed in are chunks of zucchini, carrots, chopped cabbage and mini corn on the cobs. It’s the beef broth which will absolutely delight you. You’ll relish each spoonful, maybe even disposing of the spoon to slurp it up right from the bowl.

22 March 2015: One of the more intriguing dishes on the menu has the curious name “mole de oya.” If you’re expecting mole in a pot, you’d be wrong. Our server explained that the mole de oya dish has nothing to do with mole other than to share a name. Instead, she elaborated, it more closely resembles the aforementioned caldo de res, the main difference being that the mole de oya is prepared with a hot chile. Several of the signature vegetables on the caldo de res are absent from the mole de oya. In fact, the spicy crimson broth includes mostly carrots, zucchini and the bone-in beef shanks aficionados de caldo (soup fanatics) love.

My friend Señor Plata enjoys his very first Molcajete Lupe

11 October 2015: Most often enjoyed during breakfast, chilaquiles are a good-at-any-time dish that’s both simple and complex. At their essence, chilaquiles are constructed from the triumvirate of corn tortillas, salsa (or chile) and cheese. The foundation for the dish is the tortillas which are cut up into quarters then fried and simmered in red chile until they absorb the sauce and become soft and pliable. Queso fresco is then sprinkled on top. The complexity is in any other ingredients (typically eggs, beans, meat and rice) added to the dish. Lupe offers chilaquiles with carne asada, a very thin steak.

11 October 2015: If you’re in the mood for sandwiches, look no further than Antojitos Lupe which offers about a dozen different tortas, the delectable Mexican sandwich. One of the more popular filler options is the torta al pastor, marinated pork cut up into tiny pieces and stuffed in between a soft, split bolillo bun with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and jalapeños. As beautiful a sandwich as it is when it’s just sitting on your plate, it becomes a falling apart mess when you unwrap and pick it up, as seemingly half your sandwich falls onto the plate. That’s just a minor inconvenience, the spillage of excess ingredients. There’s still plenty between buns and you’ll have some left over to eat with a fork.

Chilaquiles with Carne Asada

When we first discovered Antojitos Lupe, dessert options abounded, but the only way you’d have room for any is if you asked for a to-go box (some entrees, such as the Molcajete dishes, actually taste even better the next day). Dessert options included flan, arroz con leche (a sweet rice with milk dish) and bionicos. The very word “bionico” is intriguing. For those of my generation, it conjures images of the Six Million Dollar Man, a television show chronicling the adventures of an astronaut “rebuilt” with “bionic” implants that enhance his strength, speed and vision

2 July 2010: Bionicos are so-named because they impart quick energy. Lupe explains that bionicos are very popular for breakfast in parts of Mexico, not only because of their quick energy but because of their healthful qualities. They are constructed of fresh, hand-cut fruits–strawberries, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple, banana, apples–topped with granola, coconut, unsweetened yogurt and just a bit of syrup for sweetness. Unlike some granola-based breakfast dishes, bionicos aren’t cloying in their sweetness; instead, the fruits impart their naturally fresh flavors–natural tanginess, sweetness, juiciness and tartness. The dessert is easily large enough for two to share.

Caldo de Res

Alas Antojitos Lupe no longer offers desserts. As wonderful as the sumptuous sweets were, they weren’t moving very quickly and have been removed from the menu. I kept the two previous paragraphs and the photograph on the review to remind patrons of what they’re missing. Perhaps they’ll inspire a grass roots effort to bring them back (or at least the bionicos).

The lofty menu at Antojitos Lupe means future visits are inevitable. Good cooking, attentive service and reasonable prices means there’ll be plenty of company at Bernalillo’s newest and only Mexican restaurant. Then there’s Lupe herself, a perpetually smiling woman with the energy to multi-task as hostess, waitress, cashier and cook. She’s sweeter than any of the desserts formerly offered at the restaurant.

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About Gil Garduno

Since 2008, the tagline on Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to “Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico’s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.” To date, nearly 1 million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on nearly 1,100 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.

17 Comments on “Antojitos Lupe – Bernalillo, New Mexico”

We love the food at this restaurant. The people are warm and welcoming, and the food is delightful. We moved to ABQ from San Antonio where the Mexican food is great. Lupe’s food is authentic Mexican, and I would highly recommend that you try it.

Authentic and absolutely delicious Mexican food.Especially enjoy the handmade corn tortillas. We love Lupe’s !!!!! Lupe and her family are delightful people too.Other than a restaurant in Espanola, which is far for us, we only go to Lupe’s for Mexican food.

Lupe needs two things: A better more visible sign and the finish of construction on 550. The food needs no improvement.
Still the best rellenos around.
Business is improving as more folks are finding the new location. My wife and I are rooting for its success.

My Family and I have enjoyed your Authentic Mexican menu at its fullest. My Husband prefers only you and your brother’s restaurant in Albuquerque on Zuni when ordering Menudo. We have been loyal customers since approximately 2009.

We finally got to Lupe’s this afternoon for take out. We should have heeded Gil’s recommendation way before this ! We’ll surely make a point of going through the menu as the three entrees we sampled were each remarkable.

I believe what distinguishes Lupe’s from so many other restaurants is an amazingly subtle virtuousity with the herbs and spices used in the preparation of the dishes. Very reminiscent of the elegant hand of chef Saul Paniagua in his ( Lamentably ) short tenure at ‘ Four Aces ‘…..where each bite of the dish lead the palate through a delightful array of sensations and surprises based in and amplifying the virtues of the main ingredients. Try the shrimp diabolo ( sp. ) and you’ll see what I mean.

We look foreward to learning more of the fine points of Mexican cuisine& happily we have Lupe’s to educate us.

Sr Plata returned to have his ‘Molcajete Lupe’ this evening to see if it was as good as the 1st time having lunch there and yes, it was! He brought his father-in-law to try who also enjoyed the tastes. He had the combo that consisted of beef, chili relleno, beans, rice and some other goodies. I think the next time I come, I will try that because I liked how his plate looked as much as mine. He tried a bit of my cactus that was grilled with the onions with my meet and said it was tasty. They close at 8pm for those that need to get there for an early dinner. I hope they read these cause they are doing a good job.

Just had lunch at Antojitos and can’t wait to go back.
My wife and I had two dishes, both excellent.
We split a plate of Chile Rellenos and they were the best I’ve had.
OK, I may not be the foremost authority on Mexican foods but I know what I like and
the Chile Rellenos were terrific.
And the chips and salsa starters were great, the “red” not too hot, just right.
Our next dish was the Molcajete Lupe and we both thought it was great.
It was my first Molcajete and my first taste of nopales.
It won’t be my last..
Gil’s Thrilling……. has been my guide to great meals in New Mexico.
My wife has announced she wants to go back for a dinner of the lamb stew and further announced she liked the rice and beans.
Wow! Antojitos Lupe scored big with both of us.

Barbacoa de Borrego was my choice for my first visit (I am a lamb freak). The lamb was steamed and then grilled for a bit of crispness and served with a soup containing garbanzos and flavored with cilantro and epazote. Swirl chunks of lamb in the soup and you get a superb combination of tastes exploding onto your palate.

Well, Sensei said I had a choice, hot soup in the middle of summer in New Mexico or something very different cooked in a bowl made of volcanic stone mortar containing meat, cheese vegetables, chile, etc. and for one second I went ‘hmmm’. So, we went to Bernalillo, stopped at this gas station where I look up and there is the restaurant sign. Somehow I felt I was taken back in time where I pictured many a diner to be shared with gas stations to feed the masses who were moving West. I was advised by Sensei to have the ‘Molcajete Lupe’ and I did with one slight modification; yes, you have heard it before, I don’t eat pork so I had extra steak and chicken to replace. This unseemingly hot/steaming bowl made of stone is carried to our table and I am wondering why this dish seemed so out of place in this establishment. I understand that this is the only place in the Albuquerque area to have an authentic Molcajete and I am so impressed. It was amazing that the food stayed so hot all the way thru the meal because the heat was held by that stone-like bowl. It was another WOW moment to feast on that and was surprised, as by the comments that came before me, that it was not crowed. I’m not sure how well known it is by the masses that a non-standard dish such as this being served. I thought that with some word of mouth, this dish could bring in troves of people, obviously a mixed blessed, good for them but a line for me. It was served with corn tortillas, beans and rice. This was truly a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is close to home and work but which makes you feel as if you are in another place south of the border. I’m glad Sensei was there to interpret the Spanish and to ask questions. It went beyond my 1 year of junior high (mid-high for the new generation) Spanish class. This was another gem I found here in Albuquerque that again has impressed me.

Viva Lupe’s! We finally got around to trying this place and are glad we did. I had the chicken mole which was delicious. My wife enjoyed the chile relano. The service was friendly and quick. A repeat visit is in the works much sooner than it took us the first time.

I find myself driving to Bernalillo for work often, and only recently stopped in to Lupe’s. I went in the convenience store next door, and then figured I’d pick something up for lunch. So mad I never stopped sooner!!! She is so sweet and is always smiling. My absolute favorite is the flautas de papa. They’re fried but not too crispy, with plenty of delicious potato filling, lettuce, queso fresco, and rice and beans with the platillo. They have a huge selection, and lots of yummy things to drink as mentioned in the blog. They’re fast too, but you know your dish is being prepared fresh.

It’s been pretty busy the couple times I’ve been there, but I was also there at the noon hour. Seems like a lot of people get things “para llevar” – to go – so I’m hoping that’s why the dining area isn’t packed.

We’ve been twice, both times for breakfast and are anticipating returns for lunch and dinner. The chilaquiles are fantastic, very very close to the version we first encountered in Ensenada. I think the secret is in the red sauce, which Antojitos Lupe does just right.
This time my dad and I split the Molcajete Lupe…a delicious combination of beef, chicken, pork, cheese, onions, tomatoes, cactus and anything else they have in the kitchen, served in a very very hot molcajete…and served with their declicious homemade corn tortillas and a side of rice and beans.
I hope they stay…although there have been other diners both times we’ve eaten there, it’s hardly been crowded.
This is a shame because they serve one of the best breakfasts in Bernalillo and I have to believe the same can be said about lunch and dinner.